Music Video Review: 'Say What You Like' by Monica Dogra

3.5

Monica Dogra aka Shaa'ir of Mumbai-based electro funk duo, Shaa'ir and Func, ventured out solo earlier this year with her debut album, "Spit." To announce the album, she released the music video of "Say What You Like," a song from the album one day before its release. The video was directed by Singapore-based Rosie Haber.

The first thing that comes to mind after watching the music video is its kaleidoscopic quality. Be it in the detailed visual effects or the direction or the costume design, the video is a trippy treat. However, it falls short on giving a concrete picture of the idea behind the portrayal of a society without rules. It left me wanting a bit more.

To announce the video, Dogra had posted a tagline on her official Facebook page: "Enter the den of dejected lovers... where there are no rules." After reading this tagline, I couldn't help but wonder about a few things. Does a den of dejected lovers need to border around mindless debauchery? Does depicting a society without rules require weirdly fancy clothes and ornaments? The need for these things in a video for a peppy number like "Say What You Like"is understandable. But, did it have to be so flashy?

The music arrangement for the song is one of its strengths. Arranged by Gaurav Raina of Midival Punditz, the track borders around electro-pop and is meant for easy listening. Dogra's voice combined with her simplistic lyrical poetry is also intriguing. In fact, the way she combines spoken word poetry with singing, reminded me of the vocal edit version of Dualist Inquiry's "Quaila."

And while the experimentation by Dogra and Raina in the song is not groundbreaking, it justifies the essence of the track, making it a worthwhile experience.

Overall, this song, and the whole album for that matter, establishes the fact that Shaa'ir can survive without Func and that is what ultimately matters.

Watch the video below.